


Lost Sheep

by Doorway



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Dreamworld, Fluff, Gen, Mage Stuff, Tuuri's luonto, luonto, shepherd powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-26 18:51:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6251515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doorway/pseuds/Doorway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an exhausting experience Tuuri loses her luonto and it's up to Reynir to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost Sheep

Sometimes Reynir feels guilt.

It’s not too deep or all-consuming, like that time his older sister had fell and broken her arm trying to help him climb down a tree; he had been crying several hours non-stop that time until she had come back to comfort him and prove to him that a broken hand was not so bad after all, it was like being on vacation! (Although he could still see her wince, for _months_ after the accident. Hence the endless guilt. It ended months later.) _That_ had been the worst mistake of his life.

Or so he had thought, at the time.

He had replaced these people’s vital food reserves with his useless self.

He became one more mouth for them to feed.

He occupied much-needed space in a small vehicle.

He felt like _the worst_ person for all this. He was hindering such an important mission! From what Tuuri had told him, their mission was groundbreaking, bold! The first team to ever travel in the Silent World!

And he was hindering it.

 _That_ would be the worst mistake of his life, if it weren’t for the fact that it turned out he could be _helpful_. He could wash dishes and clean. He could take care of kitty. He was a mage and a shepherd! Well, the later wasn’t helpful, but he was super useful as a mage. He could see spirits and cast spells and walk on water, and it was awesome.

And he really had a great time with the team; everyone else was awesome, too. Tuuri’s company was great, hanging around with Lalli and Onni was cool, Mikkel was super nice, Emil looked so fierce and tremendous a warrior, Sigrun was really brave and strong, he really looked up to her ever since she threw herself in front of that troll for him. Well, he was looking up to her from before, she truly must have been great to lead such an amazing team into such a bold mission, but the troll incident was… was like a _proof,_ that he got to see with his own eyes!

He would now have amazing stories to tell to his siblings as well.

…Aaand that’s when the guilt returned.

He knew his family would be sad. And mad at him. He was never this unruly, this must have come as a surprise to them, he was a terrible son! Visiting another foreign country was not so bad, but how would they feel knowing he is in the middle of the Silent World!

He supposed he could ask Tuuri to relay a message through the radio. Ask for someone to contact his parents and tell them that he’s safe, that he is being taken care of by the _best_ team and that he is having amazing adventures!

…But Reynir always abandoned that line of thought as soon as he opened his mouth to talk to Tuuri.

He wanted to admit his mistake and stupidity and apologize to his family, he really did. He also wanted to reassure them that everything was alright and that he was having fun.

But… asking Tuuri _that_ would take up some of her valuable time, and the tank’s resources, and a lot _more people’s time,_ and he didn’t want to do that. How many radio operators were needed to carry a message all the way to Iceland? And then to his home?

Well, he didn’t know, but he had a feeling that a lot of manpower was needed for something like that, that a lot of people would have to work hard to cover for his silliness. Reynir didn’t want to cause anyone else any more trouble. _Especially_ people he couldn’t repay in any way. He had caused enough trouble for a lifetime. He should make himself as less of a burden as possible, and apologize and explain later.

His parents had no particular reason to worry, after all. They probably thought he was somewhere in Denmark, having lots of fun (which was completely accurate).

*****

Driving for twelve hours non-stop was not-so-fun.

Not that he, Reynir, suffered, no. He was fine. Sitting on a cot with his mask on, hanging tight, eyes shut, afraid he’d see something scary, praying for protection, while everyone else was in the front, gear on and weapons at the ready, looking fierce and fearsome (except for kitty, she looked scared and fluffy). Lalli was chanting something almost non-stop, looking more tired with every verse, probably trying to keep whatever was following them away.

Reynir hadn’t seen what it was.

The others had been busy outside when all of a sudden there were shouts, kitty panicked, they all rushed back into the tank and Tuuri drove them away at top-speed. Reynir could have gone to the front window to look sideways and maybe he would catch a glimpse; but he didn’t want to. He was too scared of what he would see. Everyone else seemed worried, so he just sat at the back of the tank and prayed silently.

Tuuri drove on and on.

Sometimes, he thought he could hear strange noises from behind the metal wall at his back; like wheezes, or screams, or a strange laughter. It chilled him to the bone, so he tried not to listen too hard; shut his eyes tighter. He almost screamed when he felt something abruptly bump into and scratch at the metal behind him; _the_ _whole vehicle shook_. Whatever was chasing them was large, persistent and had claws.

That was already a terrible description and Reynir began praying more fervently.

*****

The… whatever it was, it was getting tired after so much non-stop running.

The tank couldn’t get tired and just went on with mechanical ease.

They lost it while crossing a large meadow, at sunrise. Reynir hadn’t seen hair nor hide from the whole thing, but he could imagine it clearly in his mind’s eye:

The sun rising on the horizon. The sunrays hitting the poor creature, illuminating it completely. Having nowhere to hide, it writhed and gasped in the light; Reynir could hear it despite the thick walls.

It was at that point that Sigrun ordered Tuuri to stop, jumped bravely out of the tank along with Emil and killed the creature.

It was a bit later when Tuuri fell from her seat, and Reynir thought he saw the wisp of something fly away from her body and dissolve as abruptly as it had appeared.

*****

It turned out that while the tank could not get tired, its driver was a completely different story altogether. Tuuri had simply exhausted herself after more or less eighteen hours of driving in tense conditions, Mikkel explained. Nothing to really worry about. Especially nothing for _Reynir_ to worry about, he insisted. Reynir couldn’t do anything in any case.

Emil seemed worried, though. He kept milling around Tuuri while she slept, checked on her often and talked loudly to everyone who would listen. He was such a good friend; he was worried properly and had also been able to help Tuuri, what with killing the creature that was trailing them and whatnot.

Sigrun seemed pissed about the whole thing, especially after she tried to drive the tank and promptly crashed into a building. She was probably too upset to drive, and the crashing hadn’t helped her mood. She yelled a bit, which was understandable, so Reynir tried not to get in her way too much.

The only ones who didn’t seem particularly worried were Mikkel, who never expressed much of anything in most cases, Lalli, who also did not express much of anything either, and kitty. Kitty was just glad to be able to sleep curled next to Tuuri’s neck.

*****

Several days passed, and Tuuri wouldn’t really get up.

Oh, she would _wake_ up, for a few minutes at a time, drink a bit of water and munch on something, but she did it less and less often and it lasted less each time.

Everyone was getting more and more restless about it; especially Lalli who, as Mikkel had explained to Reynir, had no one else to talk to, and must have been feeling lonelier and lonelier. Emil spent a lot of time talking _at_ Lalli, but Lalli of course could never talk back and kept becoming more fidgety. Poor Lalli! If he needed something he wouldn’t be able to ask anyone. Maybe Reynir could go visit him in the dreamworld, they could talk there!

Reynir, too, began feeling more lonely and sad.

He realized that he had been relying _a lot_ on Tuuri this whole time: _she_ was the one who explained to him what was happening at all times. She was the one who kept him company, who talked and played with him, who teased him and listened to him. Practically his best friend!

And now she was sick, and he couldn’t help at all.

He was a terrible best friend.

Maybe checking on her cousin was something she would want him to do. At least he could do _that_.

*****

His dreamworld sheep turned their heads to look as he materialized among them, then went back to grazing peacefully on the grass. Reynir surveyed them briefly, ensuring that they were safe and that there were no menacing shadows lurking around, like a good shepherd would do. Satisfied, he left his dog to take care of them during his absence and more or less skipped towards the boundary where he knew Lalli would be resting.

He was surprised to find the Finnish mage standing _right_ at the edge of his forested dreamworld instead, looking straight at him with an intense gaze, as if he had been expecting him impatiently.

Poor Lalli! He must have been feeling _so_ lonely, and probably desperately need something but was unable to tell anyone. Luckily, Reynir would _help!_

He hopped towards the gap, so that he could face Lalli without invading in his dreamworld and offered him a cheerful smile. “Hi! How can-”

“Tuuri needs help,” Lalli’s voice was curt and hurried. Reynir found himself staring.

“How-”

“She lost her nature.”

“Eh?”

“Her soul. _Part_ of her soul.”

“Wh-”

“It’s there, somewhere,” Lalli added quietly, his gaze travelling over the dark waters that surrounded them in all directions.

“H-”

“It must be stuck somehow; otherwise it would be back by now.”

“But-”

“I can’t go there and neither can Onni; I can’t walk and there’s… something… tracking him,” Lalli hesitated a bit before continuing. “If he stays outside for too long… Me too. It would be bad if it found one of us. Will you help Tuuri instead?”

Reynir stood open-mouthed for some time, unable to make any sound. Then he recovered, drew himself up. “Of-of course I can _help!_ I mean… I’ll try! I don’t know what you-”

“Good, then listen, quickly,” Lalli took one small step closer to the boundary; if he moved any further he would fall straight into the water. “It must return to her immediately. You have to walk over there, look for it, free it… Then it should be fine.”

“Uh…” Reynir glanced at the black waters, to which Lalli had gestured when he had said “over there”. It had been a rather vague description. “Where exactly-”

“I don’t know,” the Finnish mage replied impatiently, “just look for it. Walk. And don’t make any sound, or spirits will notice you and attack you.”

“Uh. Ok… I-I can do that. I think.”

Lalli stepped back, looking somewhat relieved, and stared expectantly at Reynir.

“Uh! I’ll… go now…” Reynir added uncertainly and stepped daintily on the bottomless waters.

He was pleased to see the liquid still supporting his weight; the upset expression on Lalli’s face during their conversation had made him unexpectedly nervous. After a final glance at Lalli for reassurance (which was rewarded by the same intense look as before), he set off into the black sea. Quick but careful and quiet footsteps carried him steadily further away from his safe haven.

He was on a mission to save his friend! A very heroic mission! He was _so_ proud. He would make everyone happy. He could totally do this!

It was after he had gone so far that their dreamscapes were no longer visible that he realized he didn’t know what the “part of Tuuri’s soul” looked like.

*****

He spent half of the time trying not to lose his bearings and the other half trying to guess what Tuuri’s soul looked like and how he would recognize it when he found it.

It was really hard keeping track of the direction he was walking at; the waters were immobile and unfathomable, there was no wind, the sky was filled with unknown stars and white mist obscured the horizon, hiding any landmarks. He might be walking in circles for all he knew.

Well, there was nothing to do for _that_ , except trying to walk in a straight line and really paying attention to his surroundings. Lalli had said that spirits might attack him if they took notice of him; a repeat of that day when an angry ghost had tried to engulf both him and his dog was something he could not bear to think about. Thankfully, Reynir could see no such shades looming anywhere around, so he was probably safe for now.

What worried him most was how he would be able to actually _see_ Tuuri’s soul. What does a soul look like, anyway? Or was he not supposed to _see it,_ per se, but _sense it_ somehow instead…? Would it look like Tuuri? Would it be formless and shapeless, like those ghosts?

…Well, since Lalli hadn’t described what it looked like, he must have thought that Reynir would recognize it on sight. That probably meant that it would look like Tuuri, or at least _feel_ like Tuuri. There would be no ambiguity when he found it.

*****

Reynir began losing track of time. Wandering endlessly on unchanging black waters, unable to tell if he had made any progress or not, the scenery identical wherever he looked…

Until he looked down.

At first glance, they seemed simply like artifacts of light in the water.

Then he noticed they had specific, static shapes, although he couldn’t identify them with anything familiar.

Spirits? Just light and shades? Tuuri’s soul?

He paused and squinted.

They were white… They were long… There were curves, and… horns… and…

_Skulls…_

Reynir felt the blood drawing away from his face.

 _Skeletons._ There were skeletons underwater!

The whole _sea_ was filled with skeletons of various shapes and animals, as far as he could see…! They were _everywhere!_ He had been walking above them, oblivious this whole time!

And then he noticed them move.

They weren’t abrupt or intense movements, just a smooth and perpetual motion. They weren’t carried away by any current; they were _gliding_ in the water. _Swimming._ They were _alive!_ Or, rather, they _weren’t_ alive but swam nonetheless, and this was ten times worse.

Reynir found himself rooted to the spot, hairs raised on end. He stood and stared at the beings passing by right underneath him. He really wished Lalli or Onni were with him right now, or at least for his dog to be at his side.

But his dog was guarding the sheep as it had been trained to do; it was supposed to keep them safe until the shepherd returned. And _his_ job when that happened was usually to find a lamb that had strayed off the flock…

That was it.

Reynir took a deep breath, his nerves calming.

Just a trip to find a missing sheep. This was exactly what he was doing. Tuuri was like a young lamb that had lost its way and he, as a shepherd, was wandering around in the wilderness to find it. He could do that. He had done it a thousand, probably a million times.

After another deep breath Reynir began walking again, careful not to make any sound, and he treaded above the ever-moving skeletons.

None of them reacted in any way like they had sensed him.

…Good. That was good. He could totally do it. Just a sheep recovering mission. Now, _that_ was easy. He was nowhere as powerful as Lalli and Onni were as a mage, but he was a _good_ shepherd. He could do it. It was no different, really. Well, it _was_ , in a way… but in another, it _wasn’t._

He concentrated.

All these times when a sheep strayed off and he had to look for it, he had found that focusing on what the sheep _looked_ like, and how it behaved, and repeating its name in his head as he was walking like a chant _actually helped him spot the animal more quickly among the rocks and the grass._ Like… could this be magic, as well?

Reynir concentrated harder, squinting from the effort.

Tuuri was… short. And plump. And had short silver hair, and she was fun, and friendly, and smart. She talked a lot to Reynir, was really nice to him, and could speak so many languages! And her driving was excellent; she hardly bumped the tank anymore! She liked teasing him, and he missed both her company and her support. He-

He heard a noise.

Reynir froze.

It was more like a-a-a honking. A squawking. But it didn’t sound scary or creepy, just… fun.

Heartened, he walked at a faster pace towards the sound.

Oh, how he hoped this was Tuuri! Then of course he’d have to free her somehow; gods help him with _that!_ How would he do it? If something had managed to trap such a smart and courageous person, what could _he_ do?

The sound became louder and suddenly there was dense mist obscuring everything around him. Reynir’s next uncertain step landed on something solid.

*****

A village.

It wasn’t an Icelandic village, and even though Reynir had never seen any other country’s villages before, he could easily tell that there was something wrong with it.

The buildings looked… faded. Unsubstantial. Like… not quite there. There were no people or animals or birds. When he peeked behind the windows he couldn’t see anything, not even vague shapes, like there wasn’t an interior at all. Tall trees moved slightly on a warm breeze but they looked out of focus, no matter how much attention Reynir paid to them.

Reynir could tell that the village wasn’t real.

It didn’t really exist.

Spooked, he walked along a dirt road that didn’t quite react to his steps: no dust flew up when he stepped on a dry patch and no water splashed when he walked in a puddle. Nope, it didn’t exist properly.

Was this where Tuuri had been trapped? And how, if you can’t actually interact with anything in here?

He perked up when he realized the honking noise was getting louder; whatever was making it, he was getting closer to it.

He turned around the corner to face what looked like the village square, which would not be so unsettling if it wasn’t for the bunch of people-shaped shadows standing all around it.

He froze, alarmed, but the shadows weren’t acknowledging him or even moving at all. They were all facing the middle of the square and they were just… standing still.

Reynir took deep breaths to try and calm his frayed nerves before he resumed walking. He slowly headed for the center of the square, warily eyeing the figures as he approached.

They were vague, faded, featureless; he could see that now. Not like the ghosts that haunted those buildings, not quite; _these ones_ had actual limbs and-and-and volume and _a face_ , it was just that he couldn’t make out any details on their bodies or faces.

They still didn’t react when he walked right up next to them and peeked among them to the center of the square.

A few of these shadowy and unsubstantial people, _children-sized_ , were running and dancing around a small seal, chattering and laughing in whispery, nonsensical voices. The seal had been the one doing the honking, and it was looking at each of the featureless faces, waddling in clumsy circles, as if trying to keep up with the dance.

Reynir froze.

He had seen seals before; his eldest brother had brought him a book with paintings of various animals when he was a child. Reynir had spent endless hours riffling through the pages. He could recognize a seal on sight.

Only…

Only the seal was the only real thing in this place. The children and their games looked every bit as unreal as the rest of the village did. They seemed to forget their lines and what they were doing and start a new game every now and then, only to get confused about how to play that, too. (They were persistent, though.) However, Reynir could see the seal’s head _clearly_ , in every detail; he could hear its voice perfectly. He could tell clear as day that it tried to keep up with the children, as if it was filled with longing to participate, even if the games were nothing but a half-forgotten routine.

Only… Only, _most importantly,_ a seal was not supposed to be here. A seal was supposed to be _in the sea,_ he was sure of that! And it didn’t look like a spirit seal, or a ghost like those people, it looked _real!_ Reynir was sure it was just an animal that inhabited the dark waters, and those people had caught it somehow and now it was trapped in the middle of a village, not knowing what to do.

Why anyone would catch a live seal and then _not_ eat it was beyond Reynir. It certainly wasn’t a place to keep it as a pet. Could it be that the village people desperately wanted something real to live among them, since _they_ quite obviously were fading?

That was unimportant, Reynir decided. The poor animal had no place here. Like Tuuri’s soul had to return to her body, the seal had to return to the ocean. She would sympathize. She would want him to do this; she wouldn’t mind him taking a little while longer to free her.

Trying to look more scary and more determined than he felt, he stepped forward and then _in_ the circle of the shadowy figures.

They didn’t quite react. Those he had passed the closest to just kind of slinked away. Some of them kind of stared at his general direction but didn’t seem to know how to react. They looked lost, too.

He advanced to the center of the square, to the small circle of featureless children singing faded songs and making crowns from washed-out flowers, dancing clumsily around the seal that still watched them with desperate eyes.

The children sort of ignored him even as he stepped closer. They sort of danced around him, sort of tried not to deal with him, but their voices seemed to falter and their dance to become more uncertain as he picked the seal up in his arms. Like they didn’t dare to interfere with what was happening.

As he walked away, seal tight in his hold, they all fell quiet and just stared at his retreating back. It made him nervous, but they seemed too uncertain and worn out to act against him.

He sped up nonetheless, heading for the limits of the faded town where he could release the animal into the sea.

The animal in question grew steadily more restless and fidgety in his arms. It wasn’t too heavy for him (he had carried heavier sheep countless times) but it was obvious the poor thing was upset: it was impossible to get a steady grip on it.

“Sorry, friend,” he said in the same soothing voice he used with scared sheep. “That place wasn’t really for you. You need to go back home.”

The seal honked, desperately.

“Don’t tell me you liked it back there! You looked so out-of place. It wasn’t real, you know.”

The seal squirmed in his arms.

“Uh-stay still for a moment, please…”

He finally reached the shore. Black waters and mist as far as the eye could see. He deposited the seal carefully on the ground, wanting to see it slip eagerly back into the water.

It didn’t. It sniffed at it, distressed, and stepped back clumsily.

“What, afraid?”

The seal headed for Reynir’s legs and tried to hide behind them.

Reynir sighed and sat down, folding his hands around the animal to drag it on his lap. He really didn’t want it to wander away and into the faded village again.

“I know, it’s pretty scary. All these skeletons. They scared me a lot, too!” He caressed the seal’s round, soft head with slow movements. “But that place really wasn’t for you in any case, it wasn’t real. It looked more like a dream, or a memory.” Reynir gazed at the star-filled sky, remembering the few, precious nights he got to spend back home when there were no clouds and he could count the stars. “I, too, like to get lost in pleasant memories when I’m scared or sad. It’s very comforting. I understand completely!”

By now the seal had stopped squirming and honking and just lay limply in Reynir’s lap instead, head hanging down. All the smooth and calming movements must have helped, although it was obviously still sad. “Eventually you have to forsake the memories and go back to the real world, you know,” he added tenderly. “It’s very hard when the real world is harsh, like this sea. All skeletons. What do you even eat in here? I didn’t see any fish. I thought seals ate fish. Are you hungry? I guess you’re hungry. I… Well, _I’m_ not hungry, but I still messed with the team’s food supply. This means they _will_ get hungry, because of me. I’m terrible.”

To Reynir’s surprise, the seal honked loudly and shook its head wildly. It was a sudden and inexplicable movement; was it in pain?

He shifted his weight to better position the animal on his lap and gently run his fingers through the short grey fur along the length of its body, looking for injuries. It stilled under his touch; at least it seemed that it was slowly relaxing.

“I don’t think you’re injured… Are you sick? Will you feel better if you go back into the water?”

The animal made a strange chocking sound. Reynir didn’t know how to interpret that.

“…You have to, anyway. You belong there! It’s scary, but there are always nice things to focus on. I bet there are tasty fish, and you can have fun jumping among the waves. And you get to explore the whole sea! I used to be stuck in my village. I… well, I’ve… I’m not there anymore… But there were many things I liked! Like my flock and my dog. It’s a lovely dog! The games we have played together! And my family. Everyone was super nice back home. They must miss me terribly, and I’ve ran away. I’m such a bad son.” Now Reynir’s head hang down as well. “…I need to go back to them. You too, you need to go back to your family. You’ve got a seal-mom and a seal-dad and lots of seal-siblings too, I’m sure. They must miss you, too.”

The seal honked sadly; a really miserable sound. It made Reynir’s heart ache.

“…I can’t go back to my family right now,” Reynir whispered to himself. “I’m stuck. Like _you_ are right now. Only I’m _actually_ stuck, while you can just swim away whenever you decide to. I’m still not sure why you don’t. Something’s keeping you away.”

The seal honked even more loudly and mournfully.

“Hey, don’t be sad! There are other nice things around, even if you can’t go!” Reynir’s voice rose in enthusiasm. “Like… In the real world, I may be far from my family, but I am around amazing, brave, friendly people! That’s pretty cool. And you-I suppose you liked it when those children played with you, even if it wasn’t real. I guess it kinda felt safe. Familiar. To be a child and play with other children, while the grown-ups are watching over you. I suppose it’s exactly the same with seals, since you liked it so much.”

The seal shifted a little in his arms, then lay still again.

“I could play with you, I guess… Would that cheer you up? I don’t know the games those ghost children tried to play, but I suppose I can actually play those that I _do_ know and not forget what I’m doing halfway…”

The animal lifted its grey head up and looked at him with a strange intensity, as if it could actually understand him.

And maybe it _did,_ because the next minute it had jumped off of him and started waddling around him, honking loudly.

Reynir smiled brightly. “Haha! Ok, I see you are really eager for this. There are a lot of things we can do!”

They played tag, sort of. He poked the seal and waited till it poked him back with its snout. They rolled around together, and this time it wasn’t a faded game like with those kids, it was _real,_ they were both participating and waited for each other. Reynir drew shapes of seals and other exotic animals he had never seen in real life on the soil, describing everything he could remember about them. He ruffled the its fur and tried braiding tiny plaits in the places where the hair was a bit longer (he failed). He sang every song he knew, with the seal honking according to the tempo. That was pretty fun; the animal was even swaying left and right according to the music, and soon he found himself grabbing the seal, hauling it up to the air and dancing along with it.

There were moments when the honking almost sounded like laughter.

Then the seal began getting larger. It was a fluid, unexpected change and Reynir suddenly found himself staring at an animal twice larger than before, an animal that he could no longer carry in his arms and which was now lying on the ground, staring up at him with clever eyes.

Then, before he could say another word, it turned, slinked into the black water, and swam away at top speed.

Reynir stared for a while, dump-founded.

The dreamworld was now, once again, completely silent. He turned to look behind him: no sign of the worn-out village; only mist. It was as if it had never existed. He was now standing on dark waters again, skeletons creeping underneath him.

*****

Reynir wasn’t sure what had just happened, apart from the fact that he had failed to do anything useful. Well, he had helped a random seal get… uuh older? And return to its family… That was good. And playing with it had felt really good too, he had had a really good time, as if he and the seal were friends!

But what about Tuuri?

There was no other option, he had to get back to Lalli and ask him what Tuuri’s soul looked like, then go out and search again.

Disappointed about his failure, he walked back towards the way he thought he had come. What if he was too late and Tuuri was beyond help by now? He had lost precious time playing with a random lost animal… Even if it needed him, it had been a bad idea. Why had he done it? He was stupid and useless.

What if Tuuri never woke up because of him? Everyone would be so sad… The mission would fail. And Reynir, too, he would be really lonely. He sort of forgot the loneliness while his seal friend was around, because they had such a good time together. It had been a distraction. And he had sympathized with it, what with it being away from its family and needing a friend.

Only now it had moved on while he remained stuck in the silent world and Tuuri remained lost.

Had his new friend reunited with its family by now? How fast could a seal swim, anyway? How long would it take for _him_ to get back to Iceland? How much longer could Tuuri survive without her soul?

He didn’t know the answer to the last question and hurried his steps.

And as for the other question… The mission was supposed to last till spring, but various things could go wrong. He could end up getting stuck somewhere in Denmark with no way to return. It was very likely to happen: he hadn’t made any money. He’d be a burden again to some poor, hard-working people. He would need someone’s help, like the seal needed _Reynir’s_ help.

B _ut what if there wasn’t anyone around when that happened to him…?_

Not that he didn’t deserve it, he thought glumly. He was a terrible person! But his family would still be sad. Was that the main reason he had sympathized with the seal?

His footsteps came into a halt and he stood open-mouthed when he reached the place where he had started: he was facing only _his own_ dreamworld; where Lalli’s was supposed to be, there existed only emptiness.

Did this mean that Lalli was awake? Or away? Or had something else happened to him? He had to check.

*****

Reynir woke up.

To the sound of Tuuri’s voice.

Tuuri’s _energetic_ voice.

He jumped from his bed and ran towards the blissed sound.

Tuuri was sitting upright on the chair in the front, eating eagerly from a large bowl, in an obvious good mood, and chattering rapidly to everyone.

Everyone was sitting or standing somewhere around her, happy to have her back. Sigrun looked really relieved and kept ruffling her tuft, Mikkel had a discreet but blissful smile on his face, Lalli gave her a cookie (Mikkel stared at him for a long time afterwards) and Emil was so happy he talked non-stop, too. Reynir thought even kitty looked happier than usual.

Reynir had no way to describe or measure the waves of relief that washed over him at this sight. He was glad Tuuri was well. At least his failure didn’t have any consequences; she had managed to get free by herself.

In hindsight, it was obvious that this was what would happen! She was the smart, brave one! She didn’t really need anyone’s help.

Eager to say hello, he crossed the doorway and approached her with what felt like a _huge_ smile on his face.

Tuuri noticed him and stopped mid-sentence to turn and stare.

For a moment he was nervous, but then she smiled widely and he was blissed again.

“Reynir! I’m so glad to see you again! How have you been! I slept a lot, I feel really rested! You know, I was just telling everyone what an awesome dream I just had! It’s half-forgotten already, of course, but I dreamt I was back at my old home, the one me and Onni and Lalli lived in before we had to move to Keuruu! It was really refreshing to see it again, although it was also a bit melancholic.”

Reynir opened his mouth to answer but she kept talking.

“I dreamt I was playing with my old friends, even though I don’t really remember what they looked like. I knew it was _them._ And the village! If felt so safe! We played all my favorite games. I had missed all that _so much_ , even though I hadn’t dreamt of it for ages. It was so intoxicating; it felt like I never wanted to wake up from it… I mean… All right, this will sound stupid, but the thing is, even though I knew this was a dream, I didn’t feel like I had the strength to let it go…”

Reynir stared, wide-eyed, while Tuuri poured out her soul to him, something she had never done before. Everyone else just looked, unable to follow the conversation, except, of course, for Mikkel, who had the discretion to look away.

“Then… then I think I dreamt _of you,_ Reynir! Oh, you were so much fun! Then… then I remembered that the present isn’t _that_ bad, there are many good things here, and then… And then I woke up,” she added, looking flustered. “I think I… Heh, I’m so stupid. I like to play tough and independent, I ignore Onni’s warnings, but… but there are many things I’m unsure about, many things I can’t read about in books, many things that scare me… Onni always tries to protect me but I get fed up and overlook everything instead. And now that he’s away… I… It felt nice that someone was actually taking care of me, like someone was _really_ looking after me, and for once I was letting them. It felt-it felt nice.” Tuuri blushed a furious shade of red, leaving everyone else to wonder about what she had been saying to Reynir. “I… I think I know what happened,” she added in a small voice. “Thank you.”

Reynir smiled widely. “I’m happy I helped! Could you help me with something, too?”

Tuuri looked up eagerly. “Of course! Anything!”

“Could you relay a message to my parents for me? There’s a lot I want to tell them…”

Sometimes, you just have to ask for people’s help and hope they are generous.

“Of course! I…” Tuuri’s face became a little more embarrassed, then changed to determined. “I need to speak to Onni, too…”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi fellow SSSS fans! I hope you enjoyed this!  
> I'm very curious about what animal Tuuri's luonto will be... Although I probably haven't gotten it right, haha.
> 
> Next one will be an Emil and Purrito fic!!


End file.
